Rounds to Chair Newly-Formed Subcommittee on Cybersecurity

WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), announced today that he will serve as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity in the 115th Congress.

“It is an honor to be chosen to chair this important subcommittee, which will be tasked with oversight and legislation for policies and programs relating to the Defense Department’s cyber forces and capabilities,” said Rounds. “Of particular concern to me is the Defense Department’s role in responding to an attack on our nation’s civilian critical infrastructure and in deterring bad actors from conducting such an attack in the first place.

“As recent events have shown, the U.S. is not immune to a cyber-attack from hostile foreign actors. Even more alarming, our adversaries have determined that the reward outweighs the risk of launching a cyber-attack against our nation. It is the newest, most sophisticated form of attack threatening our national security today. A cyber-attack on our critical infrastructure, including electric grids, transportation systems and water supplies, could cause significant destruction, or worse, lead to loss of life. I look forward to working closely with SASC Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the coming weeks to outline an agenda for the committee that will tackle the most pressing national security matters with regard to cybersecurity.”

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